Mixing head with secondary fluid adapted for connection with discharge means of primary fluid container



Aug. 29, 1967 L L. MARRAFFINO MIXING HEAD WITH SEOONDARY FLUID ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION WITH DISCHARGE MEANS OF PRIMARY FLUID CONTAINER Filed April 4, 1966 FIG? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. LEONARD L MARRAFFINO ATTORNEYS MARRAFFINO MIXING HEAD WITH SECONDARY FLUID ADAPTED FOR CONN WITH DISCHARGE MEANS OF PRIMARY FLUID CONTAINER CTION 2 Sheets-Sheet Aug. 29, 1967 Filed April 4,

LEON A R D Lv MA RRA FF! N0 ATTORNEY United States Patent MIXING HEAD WITH SECONDARY FLUID ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION WITH DIS- CHARGE MEANS OF PRIMARY FLUID CONTAINER Leonard L. Marrafiino, 1824 NW. 36th Court, Oakland Park, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33309 Filed Apr. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 547,688 Claims. (Cl. 222193) This is a continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 425,772, filed Jan. 15, 1965, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a mixing head for use with a pressurized aerosol-type container, the. mixing head having a housing for containing a secondary fluid to be blended in a mixing means with the primary fluid of the container prior to final dispensing through a spout.

This invention is particularly adapted for use with hair sprays and spray shampoos where it is desired to add a dye or tinting color. Other cosmetic uses are possible. Also, it will be understood that the mixing head may be used to combine foods, paints, and other fluids.

The mixing head may be mounted on the discharge valve of a pressurized shampoo can. When the movable mined maximum capacity for hair tinting fluid. The user may fill the housing to less than the full amount, if desired. Preferably, the mixing head provides visibility of the contents to enable the user to gauge the degree of application and insure an even treatment.

A sealed capsule is provided by the instant invention for handling secondary fluids, this sealed capsule being equipped with a puncturable membrane in its bottom wall and a top spout having a closed severable terminal end. In use, a guide means is rigidly attached to the pressurized primary fluid container and the sealed capsule slidably inserted into the guide means. The spout is opened by cutting the terminal end therefrom and the membrane is punctured upon downward movement of the capsule into a primary fluid discharge position. Preferably, the guide means flexibly supports an adapter which snugly receives the discharge valve of the container and which has a discharge nozzle or jet means. This nozzle engages the hub of radiating score lines on the membrane and accomplishes a rupture of the membrane with a liquid seal being provided around the membrane by the upper portion of the discharge nozzle. A fluid tight unit is then provided which can be used in the manner previously discussed. Fabricating and distribution advantages of importance are provided by this sealed capsule. A- single primary fluid container can be used with a plurality of sealed capsules with a minimum of inconvenience and concern.

These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification, appended claims and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view in section of the mixing head mounted on a pressurized container;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the mixing head in a discharge position;

3,338,479 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 FIG. 3 is a view of the collar which connects the mixing head to the pressurized container;

FIG. 4 is a side view in section of the components of a preferred sealed capsule embodiment in separated condition;

FIG. 5 is a view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view in section of the components of FIG. 4 combined and in condition for rupturing the membrane of the sealed capsule; and

FIG. 7 is a side view in section of the mixing head in use.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen that the mixing head includes a collar 15 and a housing 16, the collar 15 serving to mount the housing 16 on the pressurized primary fluid container 17 by means of a bottom peripheral clamping edge 18 which snaps over and rigidly engages the nm 19 of the container 17. The collar 15 has a bayonet slot 20 in its sidewall which receives lug 21 extending outwardly from the sidewall of the housing 16; the horizontal portion of the slot 20 serving as a lock against vertical movement of the housing 16 and the vertical portion of the slot 20 restricting vertical movement to the amount required for actuation of the discharge valve 22.

The housing 16 provides a secondary fluid chamber and includes a main body portion 25 and a cap 31. The bottom wall 27 of the main body portion has an apertured socket 28 which snugly receives the discharge valve 22 for actuation thereof. The top of the main body portion 25 provides a large opening to facilitate the measured pouring therein of hair coloring liquid, the top inwardly-facing rim 29 around the opening being notched toprovide a wedged interlock with the outwardly-facing bottom rim 30 of the removable cap 31 which closes the mixing head.

The cap 31 has an opening 32 and a spout 33 extending outwardly therefrom. Preferably the bottom opening 32 is surrounded by a bottom annular ring 34 which has a downwardly-facing surface 35 in the form of an upright truncated cone for directing combined primary and secondary fluids through opening 32 and into spout 33.

A mixing means 36 is connected to and depends from the cap 31 and includes an upper large-bore dwell conduit 37 and a lower small-bore delivery conduit 38. Preferably the mixing means is a separate element which has a top rim 39 which snaps into a wedged interlock with the outer undercut edge 40 of the annular ring 34 on the cap 31; this enables the removal of the cap 31 and the mixing means 36 as a unit when filling the main body portion 25.

To accomplish the desired mixing and dispensing of a completely combined primary and secondary fluid stream, the apertured socket 28 for the discharge valve 22 is vertically centrally aligned with the cap opening 32. Further, the mixing chamber or means 36 is arranged so that its dwell conduit 37 and delivery conduit 38 are similarly vertically centrally aligned. Of particular importance also is the relative proportions and arrangements of the elements whereby a predetermined peripheral entrainment of the secondary fluid is accomplished by the rapidly flowing primary fluid. The venturi-like action of the mixing head provides the required entrainment in the delivery conduit 38 followed by a turbulent mixing in the dwell conduit 37. The housing 16, collar 15 and mixing means 36 are preferably in the form of vertical cylinders, the housing 11 having a height about equal to its diameter, the dwell conduit 37 having a height about one The mixing head is particularly designed to carry about 2 /2 ounces of an activating fluid for combination with the primary fluid to produce a hair dyeing material suitable for convenient and safe home and professional use. The housing 16 may be manufactured and sold as a separate item and the collar 15 may be designed with a removable cap to serve the dual purpose of a valve protector and bearing collar. In this manner the user may separately purchase the desired activating fluid as needed and use it with the primary fluid.

As mentioned, the proportions of the mixing head are important. The relative sizes of the openings also aifect the operation and consistency of the dispensed mixture. A cylindrical housing having an inside diameter and height of about 1 /2 to 1% inches will function most satisfactorily when the lower end of the delivery conduit 38 terminates about 4 inch above the orifice 70 at the top of the socket 28. The bottom orifice 50 is about .030 to .060 inch in diameter and the top orifice 51 in the dome 35 is about .250 inch in diameter.

Research has established the operating characteristics of this invention and of important interest is the fact that a substantial variation of the A inch dimension between orifice 50 and delivery conduit 38 will result in discharge from the nozzle of primarily primary fluid if this dimension is importantly reduced and an initial discharge of secondary fluid or activating fluid if this dimension is importantly increased. In the first instance, little secondary fluid is contacted and entrained resulting in a discharge stream of primary fluid. In the second instance, the power of the primary fluid on discharge from the valve 22 is substantially dissipated before reaching the delivery conduit 38 and no high-speed entraining stream is developed therein.

The entraining stream must have sufficient velocity in the delivery conduit to provide the power for the swirling mixing action produced when the stream reaches the dwell conduit 37 where it spreads out and is guided in its mixing flow by the truncated cone or convex domelike surface 35 which acts as a baffle.

It will be noted in the diagrammatic showing of FIG. 2 that the entraining stream is visible and through the use of transparent material for the housing 16, the level of the activating secondary fluid can be easily watched by a professional beautician or by the user to insure even application of the hair coloring material.

Referring now to the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 4-7, a sealed capsule 76 is provided which may be produced and merchandised as a replacement cartridge-type item for use with a container '71 and guide means 52 thereon for controlling vertical movement for valve actuation. Preferably, the capsule '70 is formed of a top member 53 from which extends a spout 54 and to which is integrated through cementing, heat joining and the like, mixing means 36. This assembly is then joined to the main body portion 56 in a fluid tight manner, thereby providing the sealed capsule. The capsule would be filled with the desired secondary fluid prior to final sealing. A protective member (not shown) could be applied to the bottom wall '7 to protect the puncturable membrane 58 during shipment and merchandising. To adapt the container 71 for use with the sealed capsule 70, a guide means 52 is provided in which the housing or sealed capsule reciprocates. While it is recognized that the discharge valve 59 could be equipped with the required jet means for accomplishing membrane rupture and a high velocity jet stream of primary fluid, the preferred embodiment provides an adapter 60 for use with the more commonly used discharge valves 59. This adapter 60 is connected to the rigid guide means 52 by a flexible means 61 which can be in the form of an annular web or spaced radial legs or the like. The function of the flexible means 61 is to support and orient the adapter 60 for firm and fluid-tight housing of the discharge valve 59 as shown in the lower portion of FIG. 4 and to enable vertical movement of the adapter.

In use, the sealed capsule 70 is slid into the guide means 52 as shown in FIG. 6, the terminal end 63 of its spout 54 being severed and the top discharge nozzle 64 of the jet means of the adapter 60 being centrally positioned for rupture of the membrane 58. FIG. 5 shows radiating score lines 65 from the center or hub of the membrane for facilitating the opening thereof. The vertical sidewall of the main body portion 56 may be fluted to facilitate vertical movement of the capsule 50. As seen in FIG. 7, further downward movement by pressure on the knob 66 first causes the jet means 64 to puncture the membrane 58 and then form a sealed engagement of the capsule with the adapter. The bottom wall 57 of the capsule has a downwardly facing annular tapered seat 67 which surrounds the membrane 58 and which is forced into fluid-tight sealing engagement with a cooperating upwardly facing annular tapered surface 68 of the jet means 64 which surrounds the top discharge nozzle (FIG. 4). Further downward movement depresses the discharge valve 53 of the container 71, thereby releasing primary fluid for entraining high velocity flow through the lower small-bore delivery conduit 38 to the upper large-bore dwell conduit 37 where turbulent mixing takes place prior to discharge through the spout 54. The top discharge nozzle 64 of the adapter means is provided with a bore of fine size, as previously discussed, to produce the required high velocity jet stream.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments, they are to be considered illustrative rather than limiting, and it is intended to cover all further embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mixing head for use with a pressurized primary fluid container having a discharge valve of the type which is normally biased to a closed condition, said mixing head comprising a housing defining a secondary fluid chamber adapted to contain said second fluid when it is connected to said primary fluid container and having a main body portion and a cap, a collar having a bottom peripheral clamping edge for connection to the rim of a pressurized primary fluid container, said housing being operatively mounted in said collar for vertical movement therein, said main body portion having a bottom wall with a socket therein for snugly receiving the discharge valve stem and actuating said discharge valve, said cap having an opening and a spout extending outwardly therefrom, a mixing means connected to and depending from said cap including an upper large-bore dwell conduit and a lower small-bore delivery conduit, said delivery conduit terminating above and in vertical alignment with said socket.

2. A mixing head as defined in claim 1 and wherein said socket in the bottom wall and said opening in said cap are vertically centrally aligned in said housing and said mixing chamber is vertically centrally aligned therebetween providing a central and substantially straight flow path from said socket to said spout.

3. A mixing head as defined in claim 2 and wherein said cap includes a bottom annular ring surrounding said opening, said annular ring having a downwardly facing surface in the form of a truncated cone for directing combined primary and secondary fluids from said dwell conduit through said opening to said spout.

4. A mixing head as defined in claim 3 and wherein said housing, collar and mixing means are in the form of vertical cylinders, said housing having a height about equal to its diameter, said dwell conduit having a height about one third the height of said housing and a diameter about one half the diameter of said housing, said delivery conduit having a height about the height of said dwell conduit and a diameter about one third the diameter of said dwell conduit.

5. A mixing head as defined in claim 4 and wherein said delivery conduit terminates 4 inch above said socket.

6. A mixing head for use with a pressurized primary fluid container having a discharge valve of the type which is normally biased to a closed condition, said mixing head comprising a housing defining a secondary fluid chamber adapted to contain said secondary fluid when it is connected to the stern of said discharge valve of said primary fluid container and having a bottom wall and a top spout for discharging a mixture of primary and secondary fluids, guide means for enabling guided reciprocating movement of said housing with respect to said container, jet means for producing a jet stream of primary fluid through said bottom wall when said discharge valve is open, mixing means having an upper large-bore dwell conduit in fluid communication with said spout and a lower small-bore delivery conduit, said delivery conduit terminating above said bottom wall and said jet means and in vertical alignment with the jet stream produced by said jet means.

7. A mixing head as defined in claim 6 and wherein said top spout has a closed severable terminal end and said bottom wall has a puncturable membrane thereby defining a fluid tight secondary fluid sealed capsule until used.

8. A mixing head as defined in claim 7 and wherein said jet means includes an adapter having a bottom inlet socket for snugly receiving said discharge valve and a top discharge nozzle having a bore of fine size to produce a high velocity jet stream.

9. A mixing head as defined in claim 8 and wherein said guide means includes a collar having a bottom peripheral clamping edge for rigid connection to the rim 0; said container, a flexible means interconnecting saic adapter and said collar to enable vertical valve opening and closing movement of said adapter, said puncturable membrane being puncturable by said top discharge nozzle upon downward valve opening movement of said housing, said bottom wall having a downwardly facing annular tapered seat surrounding said membrane, said jet means having an upwardly facing annular tapered surface which sealably coacts with said seat.

10. A mixing head as defined in claim 9 and wherein said puncturable membrane has radiating score lines from its center to facilitate the opening thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,971,793 2/ 1961 Peterson et al 239303 X 3,080,094 3/ 1963 Modderno 222 3,135,428 6/1964 Gallo 222136 X 3,181,737 5/1965 Chaucer 222399 X 3,182,860 5/1965 Gallo 222136 3,217,938 11/1965 Ayres 239-435 X 3,235,126 2/1966 Shay 222193 X 3,240,396 3/ 1966 Friedenberg 222394 X 3,291,346 12/1966 Marrafiino 222136 3,297,209 1/ 1967 Pungitore 222136 X FOREIGN PATENTS 622,420 1/ 1961 Canada.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. 

6. A MIXING HEAD FOR USE WITH A PRESSURIZED PRIMARY FLUID CONTAINER HAVING A DISCHARGE VALVE OF THE TYPE WHICH IS NORMALLY BIASED TO A CLOSED CONDITION, SAID MIXING HEAD COMPRISING A HOUSING DEFINING A SECONDARY FLUID CHAMBER ADAPTED TO CONTAIN SAID SECONDARY FLUID WHEN IT IS CONNECTED TO THE STEM OF SAID DISCHARGE VALVE OF SAID PRIMARY FLUID CONTAINER AND HAVING A BOTTOM WALL AND A TOP SPOUT FOR DISCHARGING A MIXTURE OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FLUIDS, GUIDE MEANS FOR ENABLING GUIDED RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT OF SAID HOUSING WITH RESPECT TO SAID CONTAINER, JET MEANS FOR PRODUCING A JET STREAM OF PRIMARY FLUID THROUGH SAID BOTTOM WALL WHEN SAID DISCHARGE VALVE IS OPEN, MIXING MEANS HAVING AN UPPER LARGE-BORE DWELL CONDUIT IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID SPOUT AND A LOWER SMALL-BORE DELIVERY CONDIUT, SAID DELIVERY CONDUIT TERMINATING ABOVE SAID BOTTOM WALL AND SAID JET MEANS AND IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE JET STREAM PRODUCED BY SAID JET MEANS. 